f/ 

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U.  S.  DEPARTMENT   <  >F    AGRICULTURE, 

i:(  l;i  \r  0]    PLANT  IND1  BTRY    Cii  57. 

Hi    i.  \i  i.mh  ay,  Chlel  •  ■(  Bun 


THE  CULTIVATION  OF  HEMP  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES. 


LYSTER   II    DEWEY, 
Botanist  in  Charge  of  Fibeb  [nvesttgations. 


.  office  :  l»io 


r\  -*    ■ 

DRY 

BUREAU  OF  PLANT  INDUSTRY. 


Chief  of  Bureau,  Beverly  T.  Galloway. 
Assistant  Chief  oj  Bureau,  G.  Harold  Powell. 
Editor,  J.  E.  Roi  kwell. 
Chief  Clerk,  James  E.  Jones. 
I  (Mr.  571 
2 


r,   I     i 


THE  CULTIVATION  OF  HEMP  IN   I'll 
UNITED  STATES. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Hemp  (Cannabis  sativa)  see  fig.  I)  is  an  annual  plan!  <>f  the 
mulberry  family,  cultivated  for  the  production  of  ;i  Bofl  bast  fiber. 
This  fiber,  gray  il  dew-retted,  or  lighl  yellow  if  water-retted,  la  also 
called  hemp.     In  a  strict  sense  the  name  "hemp"  is  correctly  applied 

only  to  t  his  plant  and  its  fiber. 


DISTRIBUTION. 

Hemp  is  cultivated  commercially  for  fiber  production  in  Russia, 
Italy,  Austria.  Hungary,  Germany,  Prance,  Belgium,  Turkey,  China, 
da  pan.  and  the  United  States.  Russia  produces  more  for  export  than 
all  the  other  countries. 

[Cii  3 


4  TUK   CULTIVATION    OF    HEMP    TX    THE    UNITED   STATES. 

Most  of  the  hemp  cultivated  in  this  country,  amounting  to  from 
15,000  to  _(), ooo  acres  annually,  is  grown  in  the  bluegrass  region  of 
Kentucky,  of  which  Lexington  is  the  center.  About  600  acres  are 
grown  each  year  near  Lincoln,  Xebr.,  and  an  area  of  about  the  same 
size  in  the  lower  Sacramento  Valley  in  California.  During  the  past 
two  years  hemp  lias  been  grown  successfully  at  Kouts  and  North 
Liberty,  Ind.,  and  at  Hanover,  Pa.  It  has  also  been  grown  experi- 
mentally in  Wisconsin,  Michigan,  Minnesota,  Iowa,  and  Arkansas. 

CLIMATE. 

Hemp  requires  about  110  days  for  its  growth.  It  should  have  a 
rainfall  of  at  least  1 0  inches  during  this  period.  It  has  not  been  grown 
commercially  under  irrigation.  If  the  level  of  free  water  in  the  soil  is 
within  5  to  10  feet  from  the  surface,  as  is  often  the  case  in  alluvial 
river-bottom  lands,  and  the  character  of  the  soil  is  such  that  there  is 
good  capillary  action  to  bring  the  water  up,  hemp  will  not  suffer 
from  drought,  even  should  there  be  very  little  rainfall.  Hemp  is 
uninjured  by  light  frosts.  It  may  therefore  be  sown  earlier  than  oats 
and  harvested  later  than  corn. 

SOIL. 

Hemp  requires  for  its  best  development  a  rich,  alluvial,  or  loai  y 
soil  not  subject  to  severe  drought,  yet  not  of  a  swampy  condition. 
It  is  not  to  be  recommended  for  a  light  sandy  soil,  unless  it  follows  a 
crop  of  clover  or  beans  which  has  left  a  plentiful  supply  of  nitrogenous 
fertilizer.  The  soil  should  also  be  well  supplied  with  lime.  Hemp 
will  not  grow  well  in  an  acid  soil  or  on  gumbo  soils.  Excellent  crops 
have  been  obtained  in  Indiana  during  the  past  two  seasons  on  peaty 
soils  over  marl. 

The  best  fertilizer  for  the  hemp  crop  is  barnyard  manure,  and  this 
should  be  applied  to  the  previous  crop  or,  at  the  latest,  in  the:  fall 
before  sowing  the  hemp.  Hemp  may  be  introduced  in  any  crop 
rotation,  but  it  is  best  to  have  it  follow  peas,  beans,  or  clover.  It 
may  follow  corn  or  grain,  providing  these  crops  are  well  fertilized. 
A  dense  growth  of  hemp  destroys  nearly  all  weeds,  and  as  it  is  a 
rather  deep  rooting  plant  and  shades  the  soil  it  leaves  the  land  in 
excellent  condition  for  any  crop  which  may  follow. 

SOWING. 

Hemp  seed  should  be  sown  at  the  rate  of  approximately  1  bushel 
pel'  acre  at  about  the  time  of  sowing  oats  or  as  early  as  possible  after 
the  period  of  severe  frosts.  If  possible  the  land  should  be  plowed 
during  the  previous  fall.  Fall  plowing  is  essential  for  success  if  a 
heavy  sod  or  much  vegetation  is  to  be  tinned  under.  The  soil  should 
be  harrowed  at  least  once  before  seeding  in  order  to  settle  the  furrows. 

[Cir.  37] 


I  III     CULTIVATION   Ol     HEMP  IN     l  Ml     UNITED  8TA1  E8. 

The  seed  is  sown   broadcast    by    hand  or  l>\    anj    good   broadi 

der  set    for  seeds  smallei    than  avi  rains  of  wheat.     Good 

results  are  obtained  with  an  end  gate  seeder,  a  roller-press  grain  drill, 

or  an  ordinan  toothed  grain  drill  with  the  teeth  removed  and  replaced 

|)\    ;i  board  dragging  on  the  lti < >u tn)  below   the  feeding  tubes.     The 

d  falling  on  this  board  will  be  spread  out  evenly  ovei  the  surfa 

The  ordinan  teeth  cover  the  seed  i leeplj  and  crowd  them  in  drills 

from  6  to  S  inches  apart,  so  thai  the  hemp  does  not  grow  as  evenlj  as 
when  it  is  spread  over  the  entire  surface  The  seed  ma\  be  covered 
l>\  means  of  a  light  straight-toothed  harrow.  Drills  similar  to  grain 
drills  are  made  especiallj   foi  sowing  hemp  seed  and  are  large]}  used 

in  Kentuckv.     These  hemp  seed  drills  will  be  found  mosi  ec rnical 

if  large  areas  of  hemp  are  to  be  sown  or  if  hemp  is  to  1  »< ■»  raised  year 
after  \  ear  as  a  regular  crop. 

Aiter  seeding  it  is  besl  to  roll  the  land  in  order  to  have  a  smooth 
surface  thai  will  permit  close  cutting  with  machinery.  Afterseeding 
the  crop  requires  qo  further  attention  until  harvesting. 

HARVESTING. 

Mosi  of  the  hemp  is  nov  cut  with  self-rake  reapers  made  especially 
for  harvesting  this  crop.  These  machines  require  2  men,  or  a  man 
and  a  bov,  and  I  horses  for  their  operation  and  I  man  to  keep  the 
knives  sharp.  The}  cul  a  swath  of  about  5  feet,  or  about  5or6acres 
per  day.  They  leave  the  hemp  stalks  in  gavels.  Aiter  lying  in  the 
gavel  for  two  or  i  luce  days  the  stalks  arc  either  spread  for  retting,  sel 
in  shocks  u  it  In 'in  binding,  or  tied  in  bundles  and  set  in  shocks.  \\  hen 
the  liar\  oi  is  lair,  or  in  the  North,  w  here  there  is  little  danger  of  hoi 
dry  weather  thai  would  "sunburn"  the  stalks,  labor  ma\  l>e  saved 
In  spreading  the  hemp  for  retting  immediately  after  cutting.  II 
there  is  danger  of  hoi  dry  weather  after  harvesl  the  hemp  should  be 
cured  in  shocks.  II'  it  is  to  be  stacked  it  must  l>e  bound  in  bundles 
before  shocking.  Stacking  is  ool  regarded  as  a  necessaiy  step  in  the 
preparation  of  hemp,  bul  a  greater  weighl  and  also  a  better  quality 
of  fiber  are  obtained  from  stalks  which  have  been  stacked  If  the 
stacks  are  properly  made  thej  may  be  lefl  almosl  indefinitely  bet 
retting.     Three  men  will  put  up  two  stacks  a  da>  of  aboul  8  tons  each. 

In  Nebraska  the  hemp  is  cul  with  a  mowing  machine  with  a  special 
homemade  attachment,  bending  the  stalks  over  in  the  same  direction 
thai  the  machine  is  cutting.  One  man  with  one  span  of  horses  will 
cut  from  7  to  9  acres  per  day.  The  ordinary  price  paid  there  for  cut- 
ting hemp  is  50  cents  per  acre,  including  team  and  machine  The 
hemp  is  left  on  the  ground  as  it  falls  until  retted,  when  it  i-  raked 
up  with  a  horserake  and  hauled  to  the  machine  brake  to  be  made  into 
long  tow. 

Kir.  :.T] 


b  THE   CULTIVATION    OF    HEMP    IX    THE    UNITED   STATES. 

RETTING. 

Practically  all  of  the  hemp  produced  in  Kentucky  is  dew-retted.  It 
is  spread  on  the  ground,  either  from  the  gavel,  shock,  or  stack,  in  rows 
with  the  stalks  side  by  side  and  not  more  than  two,  or  at  most  three, 
stalks  in  thickness,  the  butts  all  even  and  in  one  direction.  It  is  left 
in  this  manner  for  from  four  to  twelve  weeks,  or  sometimes  even 
longer,  until  the  bark,  including  the  fiber,  separates  readily  from  the 
woody  portion  of  the  stalk.  The  stalks  are  then  raked  up  and  set  up 
in  shocks  to  dry.     As  soon  as  dried  they  are  ready  lor  breaking. 

BREAKING. 

Much  of  the  hemp  produced  in  Kentucky  is  still  broken  by  the  old- 
fashioned  hand  brake,  but  this  method  is  not  recommended  for  intro- 
duction into  any  new  locality  because  it  requires  a  degree  of  skill  that 
would  be  difficult  to  secure  in  laborers  not  accustomed  to  the  work. 
Even  in  Kentucky  the  newer  generation  of  laborers  do  not  learn  to 
break  hemp,  and  this  is  one  of  the  principal  reasons  that  the  industry 
is  not  carried  on  there  to  a  greater  extent.  At  least  six  different 
kinds  of  machines  for  breaking  hemp  and  preparing  the  fiber  have 
been  in  use  during  the  past  three  }Tears,  and  some  of  these  prepare  the 
fiber  very  much  better  than  the  hand  brake. 

At  Havelock,  Nebr.,  and  at  Courtland,  Cal.,  there  are  power 
machines  consisting  essentially  of  a  series  of  fluted  rollers,  somewhat 
like  a  jute  softener,  followed  by  large  beating  wheels,  and  these 
machines  make  long  tow.  They  will  handle  a  greater  variety  of  dif- 
ferent-sized hemp  stalks  in  a  satisfactory  manner  than  the  other 
machine  brakes,  but  as  the  fiber  is  tangled  instead  of  being  straight 
it  does  not  command  as  high  a  price  as  that  produced  by  the  hand 
brakes  or  by  the  other  machine  brakes  mentioned. 

YIELD. 

The  yield  of  hemp  fiber  ranges  from  500  to  2,000  pounds  to  the 
acre.  The  general  average  yield  under  ordinary  conditions  is  about 
1,000  pounds  to  the  acre.  Yields  are  sometimes  estimated  at  150 
pounds  of  fiber  for  each  foot  in  height  of  the  stalks,  and  also  at 
20  per  cent  of  the  weight  of  the  dry.  retted  stalks,  but  estimates 
based  on  these  factors  alone  may  be  misleading,  for  slender  stalks 
yield  much  more  fiber  than  coarse  ones. 

MARKET. 

All  of  the  hemp  fiber  produced  in  this  country  is  used  in  American 
mills,    and    increasing   quantities    are    being    imported.      It    is   used 
for  making    gray   twines,   •'commercial    twines,"   carpet   warp,   and 
ropes  of  small  diameter. 
[Cir.  ."7] 


i  ii  i    CULTIVATION  O]     HEMP  IV     I  11 1     UNITED  STATES,  7 

The  twentj  live  mills  in  the  I  nited  States  using  hemp  fibei  are 
mostly  in  or  near  Boston,  New  ^  ork,  Philadelphia,  Cincinnati,  and 
San  Francisco. 

The  average  price  paid  during  the  last  twent}  years  l>\  local 
dealers  to  the  farmers  in   Kentucky    for  the  rough  fiber  tied  up  in 

handmade  bales  lia>  been  about  5  cents  a  | nd.     The  prices  during 

the  Borne  time  for  the  fiber  sorted,  pressed  in  bales,  and  delivered 
ai  the  mills  as  ordered  have  ranged  from  $130  i"  $175  per  long  ton. 

The  market  is  occasionally  overstocked  with  low  grade  hemp  or 
tow,  I »ui  i  here  i^  little  danger  of  an  oversupply  "f  ■: I .  strong,  well- 
cleaned  fiber. 

PROFITS. 

The  following  rough  outline  of  expense  -  and  returns  maj  serve  as  a 
basis  for  estimating  profits,  keeping  in  mind  that  there  ma}  !»•  con- 
siderable variation  either  way,   lue  to  local  conditions 

/).  r  aen  .  /.'■ 

s I.  I  bushel,  ai  >i.   .   .  $4  00      i  000  I  bemp  fiber 

Plowing 2    i0         run, 

Harrow  ing  once. 

ing 75 

Harrowing     (omitted     ii     sp 

drill  is  used) 

Rolling 

Cutting L.  00 

Shocking 1. 25 

Spreading  for  retting I 

Picking  up I   50 

Breaking,  1 ,000  pounds,  at  IJ  cents 

per  pound 15.  00 

Baling  and  marketing l  00 

Total  cost  per  acre Gross  returns 

Hemp  can  not  be  grown  profitably  in  small  isolated  areas.  Two 
hundred  acres  or  more  should  be  grown  on  one  or  more  farms  near 
together,  so  as  to  warrant  the  introduction  of  special  machinery  for 
drilling,  harvesting,  breaking,  and  baling,  and  also  make  it  possible 
to  ship  the  fiber  in  full  car  Ii  it  s. 

Before  undertaking  the  cultivation  of  hemp  on  a  commercial 
scale  ii  is  advisable  to  tn  some  preliminary  experiments  with  half  an 
acre  or  less,  i"  determine  whether  the  local  conditions  arc  adapted 
to  the  crop. 

Approved : 

James  Wilsos  . 

Si  cr<  tary  of  .  [gricuUun . 

Washington,  !>.;..  Man 

[Or.  67] 

o 


UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 


3  1262  08928  9929 


